Underworld Capital Incident: The Seven Deadly Sins Series
by animefan106
Summary: Wrath, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, Greed, Pride, and Lust are the Seven Deadly Sins, origins of all other sins known by man. As each vice is committed, the Underworld Escorts, one at a time, face each sin head on as well as face their own actions or inaction that will lead to the punishment of the deceased ones who refuse to go into the underworld.
1. Wrath

_"However much I try."_

 _"However much I try to fix things."_

 _"In the end, I am still just like how I always am…_

 _"When I notice, the reality I don't want to accept…"_

 _"It hurts."_

 _"It's hard."_

 _"It's ugly."_

 _"I hate it."_

 _"It's lonely."_

 _Buzz…_

* * *

Kirishima remembers that day at the abandoned school. It was dark. It was dusty. It was a mess. And most of all, it was filled with a sense of hatred and loneliness.  
The deceased one had caused many casualties. The ghost had sinned, was cursed and killed many lives she took her rage upon. She was lonely and scared. She was angry. Her wrath became her downfall and Kirishima had to stop her. He did, of course. It was his job as an Underworld Escort, to guide fallen souls back to the underworld and face their punishment, then to be reincarnated and, hopefully, to live a better life than what they had lived before.

Kirishima could only be sympathetic. He did not understand how humans functioned. He only did what he was told. He was dedicated and passionate to what he must do. That was the way he worked. But… that mission had been different.

He remembered his boss's briefing on the situation. "For the deceased to meddle with the living is strictly forbidden. By gathering karma, they eventually mutate. Don't just keep on letting it do whatever it wants." Kirishima had nodded then, thinking he had understood what Rokkaku had meant. He didn't truly understand until he had encountered the deceased, realizing what torment she went through that brought her to her doom.

Wrath is known as one of the seven deadly sins in European religious beliefs. Wrath forms when a person is filled with anger and hatred against a person or group of people who they believed had done wrong to the person or someone close to that person. Maki, the deceased one, was wronged when she was alive having been bullied and misunderstood; mistreated for things she did not do. That did not change the fact she had done wrong after she died, killing many of those who had tormented her while she was still alive.

When he had gone to the old school building to investigate as well as to escort the deceased one, he had encountered Tagami and Hirahara who seemed to have been done with their job and had moved to the school just check the situation out. Not really much to see Kirishima, not that he cared about that all too much. He could handle most situations alone. Then again, it would have taken longer to go up the staircase or through the hallways without their help to get rid of all the mountains of desks. Hirahara was jubilant as always and his curiosity proved to be of some sort of use… although having popped the black creature at that time was messy and entirely unnecessary. Tagami had been lazy most of the time but he would get his part done when it was needed. He was much smarter than he appeared but it never seems that way so Kirishima made it noteworthy to leave Tagami alone most of the time, in and out of work.

No matter what though, both had gotten the job done, no problem. No emotions were attached to their job, not that they could understand the human race's mindset and why they bring themselves to ruin but it did not bother them. But Kirishima had felt something in his chest, warning him that something was wrong. It first started when he had stared at the mirror, and eventually had met the deceased one for the first time before she escaped. And unlike the Underworld Escorts who were bound by duty, Maki, the deceased one, was bound by emotion. Humans were such complicated creatures. If anything, he started to pity the deceased one.

It was some time afterwards from meeting Hanako and the creature in the infirmary did Hirahara started to speak nonsense, saying there was another Kirishima other than him, the actual Kirishima. He started playing along, hoping to calm Hirahara down a bit only to enter a hole in the wall where he had found another him, except with a sickening grin plastered onto his face. Kirishima had a bad feeling then and retreated, only to enter a different dimension where he met souls trapped by the 'reflection' which took form of anyone it chooses and traps them in the 'reflected world'.

Maki was twisted, not as twisted as the reflection, but was twisted nonetheless. Warped by her own insecurities and doubts, she drove herself mad and unleashed her wrath on innocent people. Did Maki ever look at herself, at what she did wrong? At the end, of course she did but Kirishima was thinking before that. Before she allowed herself to be escorted into the underworld and after she was killed. Did she realize what she had become? Maybe at first where her soul was still pure enough not to be mutated. But the lingering pain she held onto from the days when she was alive tied her to the world of the living. It drove her crazy and added oil the fire as her memories of her past replayed in her mind.

When Kirishima came back from the 'reflected world', the school was dark. The furniture was rearranged in a way that lacked symmetry or order. The corridors were entirely different than what he had remembered. They made unexpected turns to more corridors and rooms that seemed to have been morphed. Signs were written with gibberish letters and symbols, allowing no one to understand what kind of room they were heading in. Splattered blood painted a classroom over the walls, the floors, even the desks. It gave off a putrid smell. The school was warped as a result of the beginning of Maki's mutation.

There was no order; no sense in what was going it. The school's dramatic changes in its structure from the supernatural were only a sign of Maki's broken state. There was blood from the people she killed that was not there before. There was a room filled with blinking eyeballs. Kirishima was used to these kind of situations and was therefore, unaffected by the eeriness of it all. What had perplexed him was the sudden change in mentality from the deceased one. She had felt wronged by the people she killed, claiming that her death was also their fault, making them more guilt than she was. Kirishima remembered her skin turning a dark gray, the white of her eyes becoming black, her irises becoming a blood-red color, and her tight lipped grimace turning into a wicked smile.

Kirishima met Tanizaki soon afterwards and told him to finish the job otherwise Tanizaki would have to do it himself and he didn't want any trouble. When he went forward only to find that in order to move forward, the piano had to be played, Saeki came to his aid for the second time. Saeki who was the most competent of the Underworld Escort (excluding Rokkaku), was kind and always there to help, not asking for anything in return. Sometimes he felt that Saeki was the only one who kept him sane when everyone else would drive him crazy at times. Even so, both Tanizaki and Saeki were supportive and believed in him although, in their own ways of course.

Around this time, he started to feel appreciative for all the help (although Hirahara was the one who had Kirishima fetch Saeki for the piano…) and at the same time, a feeling of contempt also grew. Even if he was not human, Kirishima knew that Maki's suffering was not worth the death of all the people she killed. It was not worth the death of the skeleton who was destroyed in the science lab once the school morphed, the skeleton that had gave him clues as to what he should do next. Kirishima did not want people to die in vain or to die a pitiful and meaningless death.

Kinoshita, the first of the Underworld Escorts to have encountered Maki first was found (or rather, he found Kirishima) hanging outside the window of a classroom and had requested Kirishima to find his eyes since he can't look for them himself. Grotesque as it was, Kirishima found himself having no choice but to find his comrade's green eyes. For Kinoshita to have his eyes gouged out though… the deceased one was definitely getting out of control.

It took a while, and foolishly so Kirishima had admitted, what the visions he had when he collected the metal parts and then the blue stone had meant. A simple yet beautiful birthday present that symbolized a friendship had broken when the deceased one's friend had died. The strong and sorrowful feelings Maki had felt had spread the broken pieces across the school building. She seemed to be in pain. As Saeki fixed the necklace for Kirishima, he felt an emptiness in his chest. He did not understand the feeling.

All he knew he could do was sympathize with the deceased one and bring her back to the underworld where her punishment awaited. All he could do was give her the necklace with the hope of making the deceased one what she had done wrong. All he could do was give Maki a choice of whether to continue as she is or repent for her sins.

* * *

 _"I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong."_

 _"Why me? Why do you say I did something wrong? Just what did I do wrong?"_

 _"Aah, it's so hateful! So resentful! I hate it all!"_

 _"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…"_

 _"Maki-chan…"_

 _"Hey, Maki-chan."_

 _"Since I'm – your friend…"_

 _"And so… Please smile, okay?"_

 _"Aaahh… ahh…"_

 _"But even so… I simply resented, hated, and lamented… and then… I was no longer able to go to you…"_

* * *

 **Wrath** (Latin, ira), also known as "rage", may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. Wrath, in its purest form, presents with self-destructiveness, violence, and hate that may provoke feuds... Wrath may persist long after the person who did another a grievous wrong is dead. Feelings of anger can manifest in different ways, including impatience, revenge, and self-destructive behavior


	2. Envy

_"…"_

 _"Is something wrong?"_

 _"I'm still worried…"_

 _"About that?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"Now that you mentioned it, I heard a rumor."_

 _"A rumor?"_

 _"Yes, yes."_

 _"What kind of rumor?"_

 _"I guess you wouldn't hear because you're the victim. I heard that the person died."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"That's not it though. Apparently their ghost is still here, cursing anyone they see who seems happy and soon they'll die."_

 _"?! Nonsense!"_

 _Buzz…_

* * *

Saeki had walked out of Rokkaku's office that afternoon, finishing his two hundred sixty-fifth report since joining the Underworld Escorts. He let out a soft sigh that was almost inaudible the moment he closed the door behind him and stepped out into the hallway. He shrugged his shoulders extensively before craning his neck and placing a hand at the base of his nape, massaging the shoulder muscles.

"You should take a break," a deep, monotone voice stated next to him. Saeki turned his head to find a colleague standing next to him. When did he get there? Cobalt blue eyes stared at him, almost blankly.

Saeki smiled reflexively and shook his head. "I'm okay," he responded, "but thank you for the concern, Kirishima."

"Is that so?" Kirishima questioned. His usual deadpan voice seemed to hold some suspicion for once but his expression did not change. His eyes were still sharp and they seemed to reflect with a fire gleaming from the shadows made by his cap, otherwise his mouth formed a relaxed straight line, the muscles giving no hint of a reaction or some kind of emotion.

"I'm truly fine. Are you here to report to the Rokkaku-san?" Kirishima nodded his head once.

"I am."

"I see. If you need help Kirishima, please call for me. I don't have much to do today." That was what Saeki offered but he felt a bit weary. Still, it was courteous to offer help and it was important to show respect and kindness to one's colleagues, even if they only knew each other for a few decades.

Kirishima stayed silent for a few moments before giving his curt, single nod again. "I will. Thank you, Saeki."

Hmm? What was that look in Kirishima's usually stoic eyes? They seemed slightly furrowed but Saeki figured he was imagining it.

"Then I will see you later." Saeki walked down the hallway as Kirishima stepped into Rokkaku's office. His mind soon directed itself to a simple goal. At a rhythmic pace, Saeki walked deeper into the building and to the break room. And like every evening, the sound of the piano echoes through the halls.

* * *

"An old home?" Saeki asked as Rokkaku gave his next instructions the next day. Rokkaku took a breath from his pipe, allowing a moment of silence to hang between him and Saeki before he slowly let a puff of smoke out.

"That is correct. A deceased one is there and it seems he is targeting people at random. Whatever the case, he will mutate if he is allowed to continue. I'd like you to go there and apprehend the deceased one before it gets out of hand and targets people out of that area. The home is in a forest in the Kanto area."

"Understood." A quick salute was made with a grim face. Saeki had a bad feeling, a lot worse than the usual.

"Dismissed," Rokkaku ordered and nodded his head. When he looked up again, he was greeted with a smile upon Saeki's face. Sighing, he said, "They're in the cabinet." The unspoken conversation came and went as Saeki walked to the back of the room and opened the door to a cabinet with an intricate pattern carved at the borders. It was old, Saeki could tell, but it was also well taken care of since dust was absent on the surface of the storage.

Saeki immediately got what he wanted, a small pack of bandages that, to the surprise of many, did wonders to external injuries.

"I'll be going," Saeki then said and walked out the door. He turned to his left to the entrance of the Underworld Escort's base. He was about to make another turn when his cyan eyes met cobalt ones.

"Kirishima," Saeki said, slightly surprised to see Kirishima this early in the morning. "Good morning. Are you going somewhere?"

Kirisihma walked up to Saeki and bowed slightly in response. "Good morning. I heard from Hirahara that you were summoned by Rokkaku-san this morning so I came to see what you were doing."

Was Kirishima worried?

"It seems that a job has come up so I am going out to take care of it," Saeki explained, the reflexive smile appearing on his face again for the nth time.

"Would you like some help?" Kirishima asked. Saeki's eyes widened slightly. It was not often Kirishima asked if others needed help.

"I should be okay. But what about you? You aren't busy?" Kirishima shook his head.

"Not really. I have a job but it seems relatively easy. I should be done by late morning at most. I am just checking in to see if any new information came."

Saeki didn't respond. He looked at Kirishima and Kirishima stared back. What felt like a few seconds of silence felt like a minute. Saeki then let out a low chuckle. Kirishima tilted his head a little bit, seemingly confused.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. I just thought how funny it is that you are unexpectedly kind. It's a good thing, I reassure you, but with your outer appearance, many would think otherwise."

Kirishima blinked twice. Three times. And out of the blue, he smiled himself, albeit only slightly. Saeki had blinked once to double check to see if the smile was there, but before he knew it, the happy expression on Kirishima's face had disappeared.

"Take care then," he said, before making his way into the building.

"You take care as well, Kirishima." Saeki couldn't help but feel amused and surprised at Kirishima for making him laugh, and at himself for naturally smiling after so long.

He thought through his plan of approach once again for his job and decided to go the weaponry for several guns and ammunition, then to his room for his trumpet. Once making a decision, he turned back from which he came only to see a smiling face centimeters from his own.

"Ah, Kinoshita. Good morning," Saeki greeted. He saw the other man's face was slightly red. "Don't tell me you were drinking this morning?" Saeki was ready for another lecture but figured he didn't have time for that right now, even if the man was older than him.

Emerald eyes twinkled as they moved away from Saeki's face. Kinoshita laughed slightly and Saeki could only sigh.

"Don't worry too much about me. I'll sober up by the time I'll meet up with Rokkaku later today," Kinoshita reassured but Saeki didn't feel convinced. "Anyway, you should open yourself up more, you know?"

"What are you talking about?" Saeki asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"What indeed?" Kinoshita replied with another bright smile. "You seem happy being around Kirishima nowadays. There's still a distance, but you don't seem like a happy loner anymore." Saeki frowned more so then when he finds a job difficult.

"That was offensive," he responded curtly but Kinoshita only kept smiling, as if mocking him. Saeki knew better because he had been working with the man for a while now (four decades and counting) already but honestly, his drunk behavior had gotten to his nerves on more than one occassion. It was amazing how he had been tolerating it all this time because a drunk Kinoshita only made him worry and want to ignore him.

"Really? I think it's a compliment. Well, I guess you have to get going. I can't hold you back any longer, should I? I'll see you later Saeki." Kinoshita waved goodbye as he walked in the opposite direction.

* * *

Several hours had passed since Saeki left the base. He had brought several handguns that hung from its holster attached to his belt along with the pack of ammunition. A rifle hung over his right shoulder and his cloak was secure by the buttons in the front. The wind blew softly as he made his way to an abandoned house in the middle of the forest.

He was glad for the invention of the train, especially the one that flies from the capital to wherever else in the underworld.

It was two stories tall with many leafless trees surrounding it. It was large compared to today's average house size in Japan. Seeing nothing dangerous at first glance, he walked up the porch and to the entrance. The wood was rotted and the hinges were greatly rusted causing it to make the door to open and with conspicuous and loud squeaking sounds.

Saeki walked through without any hesitation whatsoever. It was dark and damp and the bad feeling he had felt earlier was only getting worse by the minute.

The room he was in was the living room and the furniture was covered in dust and spider webs. Saeki frowned. He made a step forward, the floorboards creaking underneath his weight each step he made.

He found the kitchen which was bear of any furniture, a bathroom that was grotesquely brown and pungent in smell. A bedroom that was eerily neat but still covered in dust existed. And there was a study, covered in books that have not been used for years based on the coloration of its pages and the dust it collected.

There was nothing of significance in any of the bathroom or bedroom. There were no pictures or journal entries; not even an object that screamed out about its importance came to Saeki's view from the first floor of the house. He hoped to find something - anything- that could help out with his job in the study.

The books that were unused seem to ask for little attention as Saeki continued to investigate the room. The desk was bare save a broken picture frame of what seems to be a family of three. The mother and father seemed to be their only child, a daughter of seven to eight years of age.

Gently, he picked up the frame and studied the picture. The glass was cracked diagonally across until towards the end, it split into two paths, running over the faces of the parents.

Unlike the gloomy setting of the house, the picture was meant for a happy family to stand in the bright light of the sun and smile a natural smile for the camera.

Suddenly, a chill ran down Saeki's spine. He turned around to face the entrance of the room, narrowing his eyes as he saw a shadowy figure standing there.

The figure had their head hung over their shoulders, their bangs covering their eyes. It stood there, silently in clothes faded and torn.

Saeki stood for several seconds, waiting to see if the figure would move. It didn't. Taking a deep breath, he introduced himself.

"I am Saeki, an Underworld Escort.  
Do you live here?" There were many gloomy spirits that have lived in the same area of a deceased one. There was no point in assuming who was what.

"Leave." That was not a good sign.

"Leave!" The spirit yelled and at that moment, a gush of wind blew through the room. Saeki used his arms to block the wind and squeezed his eyes shut.

Eventually the wind died down and when Saeki opened his eyes, the spirit was gone.

Saeki took a step forward only to stop as he stepped on something that felt like sand. Lifting his foot, he saw shattered glass shimmering against the faint light that seeped through the closed window.

He must have dropped the picture frame when the wind had happened. The frame was upside down and carefully, Saeki picked it up.

Saeki's eyes widened as he saw a noticeable change in the picture. The place where the little girl was posed was now scribbled out in a dark, black ink.

Seeing no point in leaving it in the now shattered frame, Saeki took picture out of the frame. Gently, he folded the picture and tucked it into his pocket.

* * *

"Why? Why do you exist?"

"Please! ... Stop!"

"I married to a monster who didn't love me! I had a child with that wretch! There's no point if we're not happy together! There's no point if that bitch isn't with me!"

"Stop it! No… stop…"

"I hate this! I want to be happy to. I want to have a family and laugh! Why did the bastard have to ruin me? Why does everyone have to show off their happiness? I'll take it away! I'll take all their joy away!"

* * *

Saeki double checked the room. Seeing there was nothing else of relevant significance, he walked out of the office and that would be the end of the investigation of the first floor.

"Ah! Saeki!" A cheerful voice exclaimed. Saeki had walked back to the living to find the jubilant, golden eye Hirahara and the unmotivated, orange eyed Tagami.

"What brings you here?" Saeki asked in surprise.

"We were nearby when this idiot started chasing after something and now we're here," Tagami huffed in irritation.

"Hey, hey, Saeki. Did you see a little girl walk over here? She was all gloomy and sad. But then she disappeared then Whoosh! She disappeared and a big gust of wind came." Hirahara seemed excited and determined to fond this little girl. And if Saeki was right about who this girl was then...

"I think I saw her just a while ago but she disappeared after telling me to leave."

"Ooh, so she's here! Thanks Saeki," Hirahara said, as he turned his head around as if trying to look for an item of a scavenger hunt.

"I would have to thank you too. She might be the deceased one I am looking for." Saeki smiled. That narrowed down his search a lot and Hirahara's presence had lightened up the atmosphere. But, why did she come from far away? Deceased ones do run away from time to time to haunt different places but…

"I looked all over the first floor already so let's head upstairs. Although, I think there is also a backway through the kitchen but it seemed to be blocked off. It seems that someone nailed down planks of wood over it."

Hirahara quickly turned his head towards Tagami who sighed and briskly walked towards the kitchen. The sounds of his footsteps were loud, as if he were angry. Saeki could only smile apologetically.

"I'll take care of the blocked area," Tagami said as he carried his pick axe over his shoulder.

"I'll help you!" Hirahara exclaimed as he chased after his colleague. Saeki stood still for a moment, slightly dumbfounded.

"I guess I'm going upstairs by myself." Saeki gave a little huff before heading towards the stair case.

The stair case had a handrail that looked like it would fall any minute. Careful not to touch it, he looked at the steps themselves. One of the steps look about ready to snap off and another was quite loose. The other side of the staircase was a wall, lined up with picture frames caked in dust.

Taking out a handkerchief, Saeki wiped off the dust, most of which fell onto the ground. He didn't want to risk sneezing if he chose to blow onto the frame instead.

Other than the dust, the frame was untouched and inside the frame was the lone picture of a girl who looked about ten years old. She was a slightly taller and older version of the little girl in the picture he found in the office and now kept in his pocket.

The girl in the frame on the wall blinked and stared at Saeki who, instead of being surprised like how humans would react, smiled at the girl and softened his eyes. She was not smiling like in the picture of her younger self. Rather, her mouth formed a straight line and her eyes seemed quite dull.

"Hello," he greeted. In response the girl nodded to him and blinked again.

"Hello," she said in a flat tone.

"How do you do?"

"Well enough. Thank you for getting rid of the dust." Her expression did not change despite her appreciation.

"It was my pleasure," Saeki expressed. "I would think you are not the spirit of the little girl in the picture, are you?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm just a spirit trapped in here. The actual girl died long ago and her spirit drifts in and out of this house. Over time though, I could no longer see her because the dust that was collected on the glass. I could always feel her presence though. She just came back earlier."

"I see. It seems that she is the one I am looking for. I am Saeki, an Underworld Escort and it is needed for me to bring her down into the underworld. Spirits of the dead who inhabit the living world should not be here so I am to escort her back before she causes more sins than what she already has."

"What are you talking about?" The spirit that looked like the little girl asked.

"What do you mean?"

"She hasn't committed a sin even once. If anything, she seems to be the one wronged."

"Can you please –"

BOOM… BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Several explosions were heard from outside the floor beneath Saeki shook violently. Dust and debris fell from the second floor of the house. Saeki covered his head with his arms as broken pieces of wood fell on top of him.

It took several seconds until the rumbling stilled. Saeki moved his arms from his head with some dust fell from his arms and back. He brushed any extra dust from his cloak and turned towards where the sound of the explosion came from. It seemed to be coming from outside and in the direction of where Hirahara and Tagami were headed.

"What was that?" Saeki mumbled to himself.

"Who knows," the spirit in the picture frame said monotonously.

"Can I come back to ask you a few more questions after I've looked around a bit more?" Saeki then asked the girl who nodded.

"Go ahead. It's not like I'll be moving anytime soon." A smile formed on the escort's face. It was soft and grateful but the girl only frowned. Saeki felt his stomach churned.

"Take care." Saeki quickly left, panicked as to what the explosion was. Hopefully Hirahara and Tagami were not injured. It would only be more worrisome if they got themselves blown into smithereens, not that they wouldn't be able to reform after that but it took some time. And if Saeki needed their help and they weren't fully healed or in one piece, it would be difficult to handle the situation. Demons can't die, but that does not mean they cannot feel pain or that they are quick healers. Like everything else in the world, whether it is the underworld or the living world, everything comes with a price.

After carefully stepping and climbing over fallen debris (thankfully the whole second floor did not collapse), Saeki made his way to the kitchen which had a ridiculously large hole in the wall that led to the back of the house.

Taking caution not to trip, he finally made it outside. What he saw was something he did not expect.

A sea of bodies blanketed the ground and smoke rose into the sky. The mix of the coppery odor of blood and smoke filled his nostrils. Seeing dead bodies were not an uncommon sight to the Underworld Escorts but these many bodies was just repulsive. Many of the bodies were recently killed and only started to begin to rot. Others seemed to have been there for a while and the flesh had grayed and deteriorated to the point it looked like mush.

Many bodies were mutilated, others decapitated, and limbs ripped off from their bodies.

But what perplexed Saeki the most was how the bodies were not seen when he first came to the house.

"Looks like the deceased one created another dimension," Tagami said as he carried a legless Hirahara over his shoulder that was carrying his own legs in his arms.

"Haha! That was a surprise," Hirahara said with a cheerful tone. "There were two layers of wood covering the door and there seemed to be a seal and when I peeled it off, BOOM! It exploded and I was blown away. When I landed on the grass where there weren't any bodies, a bunch of land mines went off and I lost my legs in the process."

"Please reattach them quickly. If something happens to me or Tagami, you won't be able to make it out of here, even if you have your shovel," Saeki lightly reprimanded, as if this kind of situation was the usual.

"Haha, sorry." Was he really? Saeki sighed.

"I'll take him inside," Tagami said, his eyebrows twitching slightly. Saeki let Tagami through and explained he'd like to look at the area more and promised he'd be careful not to blow up either.

Tagami went inside and out of sight. Saeki heard a scream from Hirahara, probably because he was thrown onto the couch or something of the like.

Not wanting to step on any landmines himself, Saeki stood where he was and looked out at the corpses. Nothing seemed human about them. Not their agonized faces nor the distorted forms of their bodies. He was used to it but he never liked the sight of such massacres. Some bodies, however, were still intact, as if only hit dead in just one blow instead of being tortured or suffered severe and agonizing wounds like the rest. It was if they were killed by someone else entirely.

"Tragic isn't it?" a feminine voice asked behind him. Saeki turned around and quickly took hold of a handgun however did not lift it up, keeping his hands under his cloak. He frowned.

Standing in front of him was a woman with a kind smile. Something wasn't right.

"But these poor, poor souls. Yet… why do they have to be so happy? Why can't I be happy? I wanted to be happy? Are you happy?" The plethora of questions sounded desperate. That was never a good sign from an undead person.

"I saw you earlier. You were smiling. You felt glad. That's good. It should be, right?"

"Miss, I would like it if you could-"

"Aiko was happy. I was happy. My husband was happy. We were happy but then we weren't anymore. I want to be happy. Why is everyone else happy besides me? I hate people who are happy…" She then looked into Saeki's eyes and frowned. "You're happy…"

Saeki was on the move, reaching out to grab onto the woman's arm. The moment he touched her, however, a light flashed and Saeki found himself grasping at air. Realizing this, he dashed back into the house and towards the flight of stairs. What was up there, he did not know but Saeki had a feeling he had to go up.

"Stop!" Saeki paused when he heard the small voice. He was at the base of the stairs and turned his head to his left where the picture of the girl he was talking to earlier was.

"You'll regret it if you go," the spirit said. Saeki blinked several times then smiled.

"In the end, I'm still a demon and an Underworld Escort and I can't die so it will be fine," Saeki replied. "I've also been doing this for a while now so I should be fine, but thank you for worrying."

The girl in the picture frowned. "Fine… but let me tell you and your friends some things." She looked behind Saeki and he followed suite, seeing Tagami supporting Hirahara with legs on him, albeit with bandages wrapped around his knees to keep them together.

"Let's get this over with," Tagami mumbled. Hirahara only grinned and Saeki smiled. He then nodded towards the girl in the picture to indicate that they were ready to listen.

"First, I want to know something from Saeki," the girl stated. "You took something out of the study, correct?"

"I did. It was a photo of the family now that I think about it…" Saeki reached into his pocket and took out the folded photo. When he opened it, another visible changed was made. The father's face was ripped in half and scribbled over in black ink as well.

* * *

 _"What did you do?!"_

 _"Hahaha…. Haha… Hahahahahaha!"_

 _"Aiko! Aiko! Can you hear me? Aiko?!"_

 _"You should die too."_

 _"What?!"_

* * *

"I thought so. The little girl's name is Aiko." Saeki remembered the woman saying that name. "I used to play with her in the area. This was an abandoned house before they moved in so I was able to go in and out of the opening to the other world and the living world. I would play with her a lot too and she was very much loved by her parents… but one day her father came home drunk and confessed he was having an affair. When Aiko's mother heard of this, she went mad

"She attacked the mistress and was arrested. Aiko felt miserable and her father was left in guilt. It only took one misguided step to bring the family's downfall. Time passed and the mother's sentence in prison was over. When she got back home though after all those years, she had beaten her own daughter and eventually killed her husband before committing suicide."

"None of their spirits have moved on, unfortunately and I have been kept trapped hear for a while including many other ghosts and spirits. I guess you could all call them whatever you escorts call them. Deceased ones, was it?"

"Ooooohhhh, so basically, they're all holding on to a regret and pain they felt when they were alive and all of them became deceased ones?" Hirahara asked.

"Yeah…" the girl in the picture framed answered although reluctantly from Hirahara's energy. "They are in different parts of the house. That's all I know so take care."

"We will and thank you." Saeki nodded towards the spirit and turned to face Tagami and Hirahara.

"Oh, and Saeki," the spirit called out. He turned his head slightly, the corner of his eyes meeting those of the spirit's. "It looks like she's out to get you."

Saeki blinked then nodded. "Thank you," he said before facing Tagami and Hirahara once more.

"So what was that in the graveyard?" Hirahara asked. He must be referring to the place with all the dead corpses and land mines.

"One of the deceased ones appeared and I believe it was the mother. We'll have to split up to look for them. It doesn't look like anyone is on the first floor so let's head to the second floor. For now, Tagami, take Hirahara with you and try to track down one of them. I'd have us split into three but with Hirahara as he is, we can't risk it. I think I can take back two of them if needed," Saeki debriefed. Tagami looked about ready to scowl at the hard task. He wasn't up for it at all if his expression was anything to go by.

"Then if you had more people, we could search for all three at once, correct?" A deep voice asked from the entrance.

Hirahara's smile grew ever wider as he noticed who came through the front door. Tagami mumbled something about the situation becoming a lot less of a bother while Saeki found himself relieved for some help.

"You came, Kirishima. It looks like Tanizaki is outside."

Kirishima nodded. "Tanizaki said he had a bad feeling so he came. He said that there was something off about Saeki's mission and wanted to check it out. He wanted to look around outside first before coming."

"I can't deny that this is quite a different case," Saeki began. "There seems to be three deceased ones instead of just one as you just heard. I think that some of the deaths aren't just from one of them either. I get the feeling that some deaths are done unintentionally."

"Hmm? Why is that?" Hirahara asked, his golden eyes peering down on him with curiosity and interest.

Saeki looked towards the kitchen and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.

"Some of the bodies… it's hard to see at first but when you pay attention, you can see that those corpses aren't in as bad as a shape as the rest. None of their limbs are twisted or distorted in anyway, as if they were knocked out in only one blow and was left there as is," he explained. "It's only a feeling though."

"Your guesses are usually accurate," Kirishima noted. Saeki was surprised then smiled and shook his head.

"It's only instinct. I can still be wrong but let's hope for the best of this situation. Let's go upstairs and split up to find them faster."

Tagami started walking up, albeit, a bit slower than usual as he supported Hirahara up the stairs as well. Kirishima followed suite but then stopped seeing how Saeki wasn't going up but instead headed towards the entrance. Saeki looked back, his eyes meeting with Kirishima's who were silently questioning him where he was going.

"I'm going out to tell Tanizaki what we're doing. It's best to give him a heads up of what's going on."

"I see." Kirishima nodded and continued moving up the stairs.

Saeki then walked out of the house and saw Tanizaki crouched down at the base of a tree. He walked over and looked over the man's shoulder to see what he was looking at. There at the base was a patch of daisies alive and blooming, quite contradictory to its surroundings of bare trees and a haunted house.

Tanizaki's violet eyes looked back, probably sensing Saeki's presence, and then turned around.

"Tch. Say something if you have something to say Saeki." Tanizaki scowled slightly however Saeki only smiled in response.

"Sorry Tanizaki. I heard from Kirishima you were here so I came to tell you Kirishima, Tagami, Hirahara and I will be heading upstairs. There seems to be three deceased ones involved so it's definitely tougher and different from the usual jobs but it's not something we can't handle."

Tanizaki was silent and looked down at the daisies. He let out a small, gruff noise before standing up and looked at Saeki.

"I'll help out then. There doesn't seem to be anything out here other than these flowers." Tanizaki placed his mace that was placed against the tree, over his shoulder and with his other hand, placed it on his hip. He quickly skimmed the area again and sighed.

"Thank you Tanizaki." Saeki smiled and Tanizaki frowned.

"In that case, help me out later with training once we're done with this job," Tanizaki demanded.

Saeki smiled in response. "Understood."

Suddenly Saeki felt dazed and dizzy. He gripped his head with one hand and squeezed his eyes shut. The next moment, the feeling went away. Saeki slowly opened his eyes. Tanizaki seemed to also have felt… whatever that was.

His stomach churned and he turned towards the house… except, there was no house.

"What?!" Saeki was shocked. Where could the house have gone? He looked up but it was not in the sky as he had hoped (and almost ridiculously so he would tell himself after the mission was finished).

"Where the hell did the house go?" Tanizaki questioned quite angrily and with irritation. His teeth were clenched together. "Who the hell is that?"

Saeki looked in the direction Tanizaki was glaring at. His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed a man standing in the center of where the house should have been. He had combed black hair and was dressed neatly. He wore glasses and his face seemed to be quite aged, possibly in his mid-forties in human years.

He looked exactly like the man in the picture of the family Saeki retrieved from the study, except, his face looked depressed and gloomy.

"Please leave," the man said calmly.

"Tanizaki," Saeki whispered, "This is one of the deceased ones. He is the father of the family who died here."

The man looked up with blank, gray eyes. The three stood still with Saeki and Tanizaki staring at the deceased one who looked back at them. One wrong move and they might not be able to get back to the house.

When a distant crow cawed loudly and flapped his wings to fly up into the gray sky, Tanizaki ran towards the man, mace in hand.

Tree roots uprooted around the man and aimed at Tanizaki who in turn, smashed them away with his mace. One root attacked right after the other and forced Tanizaki to move back towards Saeki.

Saeki took out his rifle and aimed it at the man. He pulled the trigger and a loud bang echoed through the forest. Several more shots were fired consecutively after that however it had only hit the roots that moved in the way to block the bullets. Even if the roots didn't stab a human, if they hit one in the head, it would be possible to die from just one swish of a root.

"Leave. Don't suffer from that woman's madness," the man said in a barely audible volume.

"And let her continue this killing spree? Like hell that'll happen," Tanizaki retorted while still fight back the roots.

"She's crazy," the man argued back.

"So what? We deal with deceased ones like her and you all the time! Don't give me that bullshit!" Tanizaki yelled.

"Tanizaki!" Saeki shouted in a warning tone, signaling to the other man to back down from provoking the deceased one any further.

"Tch."

"Sir, we are Underworld Escorts from the Capital. Our job is to stop the deceased ones from senseless killing and to escort them from the living world to the other world before they go out of control. If you allow us to get back into the house, we can stop your wife. Then we can bring you, your wife, and your daughter back with us. You cannot stay in the living world," Saeki explained.

The roots were huge and practically blocked their view of the man in front of them. All they could see was the deceased one's torso. When a root passed over that few for a second before going away, the torso was gone.

"Is that true?"

Saeki turned around quickly to find the man was standing behind them. He aimed his rifle once more at the man but did not fire. The branches stopped, as if they were statues that were placed to make it look like they could strike at any minute, their points aimed at both Tanizaki and Saeki.

Tanizaki stood still however his stance did not change. He was ready to fight again at any moment. Saeki was also ready to shoot if the time arrived however it did not seem to be the case.

"I give you my word."

Saeki was tired. It was never often that he felt this way. Maybe it was because he took up more jobs lately than he usually did. He wasn't sure why. Maybe because no one else could do them at the moment as the other escorts were busy with their own missions. He didn't mind doing it. It was an obligation he set himself to do since he had joined the escorts all those years ago. It only felt like yesterday really but… it would be bad if he couldn't get his colleagues back or complete his mission if the house didn't return wouldn't it?

He blinked once and the roots surrounding him and Tanizaki had disappeared. The man stared blankly back at them however Saeki could tell that the man felt relieved in some way. Cyan eyes met violet ones. Tanizaki sighed and nodded.

"I'll take him back," Tanizaki said. "Don't make me have to clean up after you Saeki."

Saeki smiled and nodded in response. "Please go with Tanizaki first back to the Capital. I will go ahead to your wife and daughter and get them. And as demons, we do not die either so we will be okay."

The man stared for several long seconds before nodding his head and Tanizaki whacked him in the head with his kanabo, knocking the deceased man out.

* * *

"Woah, what was that?" Hirahara asked, completely immersed at how the blackness surrounding the house was given light once more from the windows of a bedroom. They were back in the forest.

Tagami was still supporting Hirahara and let out a 'hmph' as he dragged the taller of them to a closet.

"There's nothing in here either," Tagami noted. "And things don't look like it'll turn out well later."

"I can feel it too!" Hirahara exclaimed excitedly like a child who found someone for the first time who has something in common with them whether it be a favorite food or animal.

"There you two are," Saeki said from the doorway of the bedroom. Tagami and Hirahara turned around (and clumsily unfortunately) and fell to the ground. Hirahara laughed as he ended up on top of Tagami only to receive a punch to the face.

Hirahara was then laying on his side, blood pooling on the floor from his face.

"What just happened out there?" Tagami asked. "I want to get out of here soon."

Saeki chuckled. "That's a bit of a long story. Tanizaki and I got one of the deceased ones so he's bringing him back to the Capital right now. Any luck with the other two?"

"Nope," Hirahara answered as he sat up and tried to wipe the blood from his eyes. "We've been searching but there hasn't been anything really useful or informative or interesting at all." He turned around to look at Saeki only to exclaim an "OOOHHHH!" in excitement.

Saeki blinked in confusion but then felt someone was standing behind him. He looked back for a brief second only to be tackled and pinned to the ceiling.

 _"Got you."_ The woman Saeki had encountered before was grinning wickedly at him. Her hand was at his throat, choking him. The forces that pinned at his arms and legs up to the ceiling was unknown to him as well.

 _"I'll make sure you'll never be happy again. I'll strip all that are important to you away. I told you before didn't I? If I can't be happy, no one can."_

Bam!

Tagami knocked away the woman with his pick axe and slammed her onto the ground, however, causing the wooden floor to break underneath them. A hole formed from the force and the lady and Tagami fell to the second floor. Saeki on the other hand was still pinned to the ceiling and it did not look like whatever was keeping there was going to let go any time soon.

Hirahara unsteadily stood up from where he was sitting. The hole did not reach him so he didn't fall. He limped to the edge of the hole and looked down. Tagami was under a large amount of the floor with his legs sticking out. The woman was, however, already standing up and was glaring daggers at Tagami.

Her skin turned from a tan color to a dark gray. The white of her eyes became black and her pupils became a blood red color. Her hair started to melt into a goopy substance and she clawed at her face as if in anguish. Her hands were also melting and she was screaming in a high pitched tone.

 _"Why? Why are you doing this to me? Can't I be happy? You should all die!"_

The house began to rumble. Furniture and many objects began to fall over and onto the floor either with a loud thud or a deafening crash. Saeki's body shook violently with the house and he was suddenly let go and falling to the floor.

The deceased one reached her arms up, as if wanting to catch Saeki as well. She frowned however when she saw a girl holding Saeki's arm from over the edge of the hole, keeping him from falling.

Saeki saw a good look at the girl's face. She had sad looking eyes that looked ever so dull and dead.

"You're Aiko, right?" Saeki asked as he was pulled up.

 _"What are you doing Aiko? Do you hate your mother?"_ Aiko stayed silent, not answering Saeki as the monster below called up to her.

 _"Of course you do! I hate you too! You wretched girl! I bet you aren't my child! You're the child of that bitch, aren't you?! Hahahaha! You are! You are!_

 _"He was going to take you away and live with that monster! You were going to be happy without me! I don't need a child or a man who devote themselves to that slut! Killing you all will make me happy you know! It's so much fun seeing you all in anguish!"_

Saeki took out his handgun and was about to fire. He stopped though when he saw a flash of green run past him and jumped into the hall. Metal gleamed for a brief second from the dim light coming from the windows.

Kirishima brought his sword down onto the mutated woman, hoping to slice her. Her gray, melted hand gripped the sword instead, stopping Kirishima in midair before throwing him off to the side.

 _"I'll come get you Aiko you whore, and that pretty boy too! There's no escape!"_

She jumped from the first floor to the second floor, aiming her arms at both Aiko and Saeki.

Saeki had his guns out already and shot at the woman with no hesitation. With several bangs, she fell back down the hole and landed on top of the couch of the living room. He quickly stood up and was about to jump through the hole but stopped when he felt something gripping onto his cloak. Looking back, he saw Aiko was holding his cloak in her hand. She was trembling.

"These flowers…" She murmured, her voice shaky. Saeki looked down as he followed Aiko's gaze to the floor. The daisies from outside the house were on the floor, as if they had fallen from somewhere.

"Would you like to be with your mother and father again?" Saeki asked.

Aiko looked up and her earth-colored eyes widened. "We… can be together again?"

Saeki smiled in response. He quickly glimpsed at Aiko's deformed mother. She was slowly recovering and so he did not have much time.

"You can. What I need you to do is to hold onto these flowers. We'll see if we can bring your mother back. Your father is also in a safe place. One of my colleagues is taking care of him right now, so if you can, I would like it if you would let me and my other colleagues here to stay and finish this, okay?"

Aiko looked at Saeki suspiciously. He didn't have much time and he needed a response soon. He stared Aiko in the eye, hoping his seriousness would convince her. She looked back down at the daisies that were now in her hands. She then closed her hands together and brought them to her chest, as if to protect the daisies. Aiko looked up and nodded, giving Saeki the okay.

They jumped down the hole and Saeki pointed a gun at the woman, just in case the negotiation would not go well. Kirishima was slowly getting up after having been thrown against the wall and Tagami seemed about ready to wake up from being unconscious.

Hirahara was sitting at the edge of the hole from the second floor. He really couldn't do much at the moment.

"Mama," Aiko called out. Her mother growled in response as she struggled to stand up. The bullets popped out of her body as it began to heal. "I always thought that Mama was my only mother and I wouldn't have anyone else. I love Mama and Papa the most and no one else. So please, let's go with these men and we can go see Papa and we can live with each other again."

 _"What are you talking about you bitch? You and… that father of yours… you never loved me at all. Why should I go with you?_ _Die…._ **_Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die!"_**

She charged at Saeki and Aiko. Aiko closed her eyes shut, ready for any pain to come her way like they did when she was alive. Then, she heard two gunshots fired and an anguished and shrill scream filling her ears.

Slowly and hesitantly, she opened her eyes. They widened in shock at the sight before her. Her mother was on the ground, blood pooling around her body. There were two holes from what she figured was from the gunshots. One at her head and the other through her chest.

"Mama?... Mama, no… Mama! MAMA!" Aiko screamed her mother's name. A gust of wind blew into the house from who knew where. She felt her body become hot and in pain. When she looked at her hands, they were becoming a dark gray color.

 _"Ahhhhhhh… AAAAAAHHHHHH!"_

And at that moment, she felt a searing pain on her back, as if something sharp had sliced through her skin. The last thing she saw was Saeki who looked at her with sad eyes. Was that pity she saw? She didn't know and she didn't care. Aiko just wanted to be with her mother and father like the people she saw when she traveled in the living world.

With that last thought, everything went black.

* * *

"What an unexpected turn of events," Rokkaku said in a solemn tone. His hands were folded together and his eyebrows furrowed. He took a breath from his piped then let out a puff of purplish gray smoke.

"Only the father stayed sane in the end. I was surprised when he didn't react much when he we told him about his wife and daughter," Saeki explained. He looked through the papers in his hands, skimming them before handing them to Rokkaku.

"The photograph I had of the family showed that they were all wearing a bracelt made out of daisies. When Tanizaki found them outside the house, I realized that I might have been able to utilize them. I wasn't sure for whst but in the end the end they came in handy.

"The photograph itself eventually crossed out the mother's face as well. It probably meant to indicate who died first and in what order before she killed herself. In the end though, it seems that the daughter was also killing people to try and keep her family together; her efforts on the other hand bearing no fruit. That resulted in part of the reason why she began to mutate."

"Kirishima did well in stopping the young deceased one at the end. He acted quickly and without hesitation before her mutation got out of hand."

Saeki smiled. "What are you thinking sir?"

"Mmm, not much. But… let's see if we can improve this system to see how many deceased ones are in an area. Where we thought it was just one, there were actually three. But for now, this mission is done. You may be dismissed, Saeki."

Saeki saluted, paid his respects as he always did, and walked out of the office. He closed the door behind him to find Kirishima right outside the door as well.

"Ah, are you here to see Rokkaku-san?" Saeki asked. To his surprise, Kirishima shook his head.

"I was wondering if you were free, Saeki." Saeki was caught completely off guard by this statement. His cyan irises widened slightly and then he blinked, not knowing what to say.

"May I ask a favor?"

"Of course." Saeki figured there wouldn't be much to catch him off guard again. He was wrong.

"May I listen to you play the piano?"

Saeki blinked twice and was silent for a while. Kirishima didn't seem to mind as he also stood there, patiently Saeki hoped, and waited for an answer. He then laughed and smiled without any force put into it.

"Why not? I'm still learning though if you don't mind."

Kirishima smiled a small smile. "I don't mind."

* * *

Envy (Latin, invidia) is characterized by an insatiable desire. Envy is similar to jealousy in that they both feel discontent towards someone's traits, status, abilities, or rewards. The difference is the envious also desire the entity and covet it (Wikipedia).


End file.
